World Day of Prayer for Vocations

The Fourth Sunday of Easter is referred to as Good Shepherd Sunday, and this year it is the World Day of Prayer for Vocations.  April 29th is also the memorial of St. Catherine of Siena, but she takes a back seat today in deference to the Sunday Liturgy.  However, her sterling example filters through and merges with the Good Shepherd theme as we take a moment to ponder the various vocations in the Church, give thanks for them, ask  God  to strengthen each one of us and to spread the call loud and clear to many more to become priests, sisters and brothers, deacons and good lay people.  Mother Teresa said over and over that vocations would come if consecrated religious would live their vows.  We decry the empty churches on Sundays, but if we lived our faith and showed it in church and in the parking lot, the churches would be full again.  I attended an Easter Service (before going to Easter Mass) at a United Church of Christ in Nashua, NH, and was very touched by the hospitality and friendliness I experienced even walking into the church through the parking lot.  People just struck up conversations as if we were long lost family members.  Greeters inside were genuinely helpful in welcoming me and finding me a seat in the very full church.  A simple thing like that makes a huge difference.  It's another case of "getting back to basics"...for all of us, from the bishops to the children who come with their parents.  Part of our reflection today, in addition to thanking God for the courageous people who have answered the call, might be a prayer that each of us look into our hearts to see how in our interactions with one another we are sharing the love and joy with which God constantly fills our hearts.  St. Catherine gave us a wonderful prayer that seems appropriate today:  "O ender Father, you gave me more, much more than I ever thought of asking for.  I realize that our human desires can never really match what you long to give us.  Thank you and thank you again, O Father, for having granted my petitions, and even that which I never realized I needed."  We might add, "Let me live my joy and gratitude for all to see and imitate."
Bro. Rene